Rival Benguet politicos share stage in thanksgiving bash

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO

March L. Fianza

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- “One people, one Benguet.” This was the banner that has been posted in Liberal Party campaign sorties and what has been enlightened in plain words by the Team PNoy led by re-elected Congressman Ronald M. Cosalan in the province since day one of their campaign. It also stood as a party platform as it suggested unity in a province that is diversified by tribal affiliations.

When the LP thanksgiving party was held a couple of weeks after the elections, the banner that was hung on stage at the BSU open gym was thought of by every speaker as the theme for the day’s event. The gym, packed and overflowing at the edges became a common hub of people from all walks and causes, of different political connections and beliefs.

Vice governor-elect Nelson C. Dangwa said it all. Amid a cheerful crowd of the young and old men and women coming from the 13 towns of Benguet, the City of Baguio and nearby provinces, I listened to him speak about two families that were former political enemies that decided to forget the past political fights, joined forces this time in an attempt to unite a province under the theme “one people, one Benguet.”

The latest local elections opened a new chapter in Benguet history as this is the first time that the Cosalans and the Dangwas win a political battle under a common party. The late 60s was always the congressional fight between the late Bado Dangwa and Atty. Andres Cosalan. In the 70s, Atty. Samuel Dangwa took over Bado and fought Andres.

The congressional seat has been occupied alternately by Cosalan if not Dangwa. Atty. Ronald M. Cosalan, the eldest son of Andres took over years later after his father retired from politics and went back to law practice. Politics has been that way in Benguet for six decades since the 60s. In other words, the province has been “divided” between the Kankanaey North and Ibaloi South, which to me is quite an “ugly” arrangement.

On stage, I saw the beaming faces of newly elected Tuba councilor Atty. Nestor Baban, Itogon mayor-elect Atty. Victorio Palangdan, unopposed Tublay mayor Ruben Paoad, unopposed Sablan mayor Arthur Baldo, and unopposed Kabayan mayor Faustino Aquisan; Kabayan vice mayor-elect Gideon Todiano and Itogon vice mayor-elect Adrian Carantes Jr. In the crowd, I saw Cosalan supporters Cesar Fianza, CrisantoFianza, Roselle Sabado and businessman Wilson Tuling of Itogon, among others. Former board members Atty. Manny Cuilan (Bokod), Aloysius Kato (Itogon), Atty. Sario Copas (Buguias), Albert Mayamnes (Kibungan), Atty. Liso Agpas (Kapangan) and former vice governor Wasing Sacla (Bakun) who took separate schedules to campaign for Team PNoy’s senators and local LP bets were mixed with the audience.

There was re-elected La Trinidad councilor Henry Kipas and board member-elect Jim Botiwey who thanked their supporters while announcing their cooperation and collaboration with PNoy’s goals for the country.

Of course, Atty. Jerry Marave, Fernando Aritao, Ricky Angluben, Pandong Balaodan and Amor Moresto who lacked the votes to make it to the provincial board were given the floor and were very thankful to their supporters and voters. By their looks, they have already regained the energy they lost for the past 45 strenuous days and sleepless nights of campaigning as shown by their bright faces.

I sensed that they were almost ready for 2016 even as they expressed support to their contenders who won. I also learned from friends in the crowd that unidentified winning candidates belonging to different parties and those who won as independent bets who were known Cosalan-Selmo-Dangwa supporters joined the thanksgiving party along with family members.

 One by one, the speakers consisting of winning and losing candidates shared their thoughts about uniting for the sake of true progress. Noticed by many were La Trinidad mayor Greg Abalos Jr. who lost by a few thousands of votes to mayor-elect Edna Tabanda who belonged to another political party.

The two were seated side by side and were given loud and long rounds of applause, short of a standing ovation, for displaying matured political sportsmanship. It could have been an unprecedented record in the history of La Trinidad and Benguet or in the whole country if Bobot Fongwan, the mayoralty bet of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), joined Abalos and Tabanda on stage even for only a minute or two.

That is how peaceful and friendly politics is in these parts, although there are people who still do not believe in that, even though elections have gone two weeks away. Why, aside from Tabanda, board member-elect Jack Dulnuan of UNA was seated beside LP Congressman Cosalan – a most admirable move that politicians in the country should follow. That historical moment was prodding us in Benguet to move on.

***

Last week, gambling reared its ugly head, courtesy of an agreement signed between a pretentious media organization connected with the Philippine National Police and the association of barangay councils in Baguio.

The PNP media has practically become partners with the “bingo” operators, thus becoming part of the problem itself. With media members signing an agreement on questionable bingo games, they have practically surrendered their role to check and safeguard a people’s morals, becoming ineffective in restraining and curbing related problems caused by “bingo” operations.

The “bingo” games proponents who are shady personalities themselves have operated in the past and have not assured the public of a clean, family-oriented amusement event. Although there were barangay bingo games that operate cleanly, in most cases the shady operators’ bingo games they claimed to provide income for barangays became bingo-jueteng or “bingoteng” operations. Worst, such games would not be easy to check as these are “mobile,” TNT or “takbong takbo.”

Talking about barangay operations, certainly there are barangay officials who become traitors to their cause when they are promised money and other material things by politicians, not for the use of a majority of their constituents, but for their own personal gains. Never mind that a city gets sick as long as they as barangay officials get what they are promised.

They immediately forget the Tagalog quote: “ang sakit ng kalingkingan ay sakit ng buong katawan.” As fast as when they were shown the Peso $ign, these unprincipled barangay officials immediately betray their constituents and cause, and shift support to their former enemy.

In Baguio, some barangays were promised L300 vans to be used as barangay patrol vehicles and other uses in exchange for their support to the donor who was none other than a mayoralty bet who almost lost. If that is how elections are now conducted by politicians who wish for nothing more than win the elections in a city that has changed so much in moral and physical character, I doubt if in the next three years it can move on for change. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com